Another Life
by Alyx Monticino
Summary: Follow the lives of eight students of Degrassi as they try to get by... Better summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

_**If you just want to read the story... Skip past the bold words...**_

**New story yay! So here's the story... on my other stories? Yeah, doesn't make much sense to me either... but anyways...**

**One shots will remain one shots, unless you have any ideas on how to elaborate them...**

**A list of finished pieces- Solider's Coming Home, Turtles, Love Conquers All, Back to December...**

**Souless Blue Eyes is still in progression... I have some chapters that I will get posted eventually... And it will be finished before you know it.**

**The World is Ours needs a lot of work, so when I can get it figured out, I will write and post more chapters... I need more characters to have a more elaborate plot...**

**Fully Alive, my only non- Degrassi story still needs some work, but may end up being thrown out...**

**Show me Your Scars as I said was experimental and will be deleted soon, sorry...**

**I've lost my inspiration (and or notebook/chapters) of both Untitled and Breakfast Club... so like the previous... I will give it a week, then most likely delete... From my account at least...**

**Savin' Me may just be my favorite story so far... It is finished in my mind... not in paper, it's just getting to the point where both entities meet, plus there will be a sequel, and a possible third one as well... Stay tuned.**

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><p><strong>I will apologize in advance... That was a hell of a long AN, but it was stuff that needed to be said.<strong>

**Summary**

****The teens of Degrassi are having trouble coping with their everyday life...

Clare, who is still dealing with both her parents divorce as well as her recent break up with Jake, as well as a possible move away from Degrassi and all of her friends.

Eli, who was recently diagnosed with Bipolar disorder is still trying to deal with his constant changes in emotion as well as fulfill his dreams of writing.

Alli never really knew realized how much she relied on Clare as a friend, and after losing Clare as a friend, she quickly finds out.

Adam and Drew are dealing with what Clare had recently experienced in the constant arguments between their parents and may face a separation, bother from Degrassi and each other.

Fiona gets lonely and turns to alcohol again as a crutch to avoid the real problem.

Bianca needs help when Vince escapes from jail, she doesn't know who to turn to when he begins to threaten her life.

Holly J. just can't get a break with more kidney stress.


	2. Chapter 2

Clare

I stared up at Degrassi... I lost my best friend and my boyfriend... I think I really did have nothing, going into my junior year of school. "Clare Edwards, don't think you are going to just ignore Eli and I, your best friends ever!" Adam yelled from across the courtyard, sitting at _our _bench with Eli. I smiled I guess I didn't have nothing, I had my two best friends, Adam and _Eli_. We went through a lot together and surprisingly it was easy to reconnect with Eli after he found me in the woods at Jake's cabin, and just move past everything that happened last year. I sat across from Eli beside Adam, "So was I the only one absolutely hoping that Simpson would rethink the whole uniform thing?" I asked to start conversation, "No," Adam said, I turned to Eli, "Do you really have to ask, Edwards?" Eli countered with a smirk, "Guess not," I smiled. We talked until the first bell rang, before parting ways. The good thing was the three of us had Dawes again this year, so we had that and lunch to look forward to, and Adam and I had Pre Calculus second period.

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><p>After three unbearable hours, it was finally time for lunch. I was delighted to find the guys waiting for me at my locker to walk to the caf. We spent the whole walk to lunch trying to top each others stories about how boring their first three periods were. After the guys got their lunch, we found a table. Just a we sat down, Fiona Coyne came up to us, "House warming party this weekend, you are all invited," she announced sitting next to Eli, directly across from me, "Eli I need advice... Wait, Clare, you are a girl, aren't you?" she began, the boys cracked up, "Totally not what I meant," she quickly said, "No worries, I know what you meant, but yes, anyways..." I said, "I need advice on how to get a date, I would ask Holly J, but she has dialysis," she said, "Don't you just ask?" Eli teased, "Yes, but I want to make it special... I don't have the best running track record with relationships," both her and Adam looked down, "I think it would be nice to ask them out for like coffee... and just lay everything out on the table, say that you like them and find out how they feel about you," I suggested, "Clare, that is brilliant!" she smiled, "That's all she needs, a huge ego," Adam joked. We spent the rest of lunch helping Fiona work out the details of her party.<p>

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><p>We said goodbye to Fiona and walked towards Dawes' classroom. "Alright students, it's nice to see all of your bright and shining faces back on our first day of the new year," she said, overly excited. Most students groan, but the rest of us laughed, "We are going to jump right into writing, those of you who have had me know who your partners are," Eli smirked back at me, "But if you are new to my class, make your way up to my desk so I can assign you your writing partners for the year, but in the meantime, your fellow student will be working on a new assignment, which will be a fictional story on loss," she explained, "At least 5000 words, due by the end of the week," she instructed, as she made her way back to her desk, I pulled my desk up next to Eli's, "So Edwards, any ideas for your paper?" he asked, "Maybe...?" I said as more of a question, "Lay it on me," he smirked, "Maybe a girl, dealing with the loss of her father from the war in Afghanistan..." I said skeptically, "Wow Edwards, that's deep," he rolled his eyes, "It's too overused, don't you think?" I asked, "No, I don't think," he taunted, "Oh shut up," I said, hitting him, "Ouch, I am pained," "Just tell me your idea," I rolled my eyes, "Oh, I was just going to take your idea and make it better," he smirked, "And how do you suppose you are going to do that?" I challenged, "I simply have to write it, it will already be better than yours," "So you don't have and idea, do you?" I said, "I will think of one eventually," he said leaning back in his chair, "You should probably think of one like now, so we can make sure you can form a story that fits the requirements..." I suggested, "Clare, it's a fictional story about loss, that has to be 5000 words, it will be a cinch..." he assured me. I sighed, beginning my story:<p>

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><p><em>Dear Daddy,<em>

_Every time I wake up to find that you are gone, breaks my heart a little more. I understand that you are fighting to keep me, mommy, and Jean safe, but I wish that we lived in a world that didn't consist of war to solve problems. I had show and tell today, I brought a picture of you and me. I told everyone that you were off in Afghanistan fighting to save our lives and all of my friends said that it was so cool, I only wish that I could feel the same happiness... I miss you._

_Love,_

_ Lisa_

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><p><em>I reread the first letter I ever sent my father, now back in my possession along with every other one I wrote him for the ten years he was in the war. Today was his funeral<em>

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><p><em>"<em>Earth to Clare Edwards, class is over," Eli called. I rolled my eyes, brushing past him to my next class.

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><p>The final bell rang signaling the end of the day, so I walked out of the class to my locker, "So Edwards, want to waste your afternoon at the Dot with Adam and I?" Eli offered, "As appealing as that sounds, I have newspaper," I said, "Already, what the hell is there to do on the first day of the school?" he asked, "Knowing Katie she probably has eighty different stories to try and fit in the one paper, rain check?" I asked, "Whatever, have fun," he smirked, walking off with Adam.<p>

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><p>I walked into my house, slamming the door, drenched from head to toe. Jake walked into the living room, took one look at me and then cracked up, "You are such an asshole, you know you were supposed to pick me up, I had to walk twenty blocks home, in the pouring rain," I seethed, "Temper, temper, Clare," he taunted, "I simply forgot," "What is all the fuss about?" my mom asked, entering from the kitchen, "Jake didn't come pick me up, and I had to walk home in a torrential downpour," I complained, "Clare, don't be such a drama queen," Jake said, "You shut your mouth," I yelled, "Clare Diane Edwards, you will not talk to you brother like that," my mother demanded, if I wasn't so angry, I would have laughed, he could never be a brother to me, "Just go upstairs and get some dry clothes, dinner is almost ready," I sighed, knowing there was no way to make my mother see my side and I brushed past both her and Jake, wanting nothing more than to slap the smug smile off of his face.<p>

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><p>Eli<p>

Adam and I chilled at the Dot for hours, talking about comic, video games, and anything really. We eventually came upon the topic of our paper for Dawes' class, "... I honestly don't know what to write about, I am drawing a complete blank," I said in reply to his question, "Really, Elijah Goldsworthy, the writing virtuoso, does not have an idea for his paper?" Adam mocked, "Okay machismo, if you are so smart, what is your idea?" I challenged, "I was going to create my own version of Romeo and Juliet, only more current and what I feel would have happened if Juliet had actually died, and without Romeo killing himself too," he stated, confidently, "Isn't there some sort of copyright infringement in that?" I asked, "I thought the same thing, so I asked Clare, who said that there should be no issue with it, but I double checked with Ms. Dawes, who said the same thing as Clare, so I'm set," he smiled, I laid my head on the table, "Why don't you write a story about... This guy whose girlfriend goes missing, and have him go through tremendous feats to find her because he would never be able to survive without her," he suggested, "Wow, that was detailed," I said, "It was my back up plan if the Romeo and Juliet story didn't work out," he chuckled, "But since I don't need it, you can use it, but only if you do it justice," he teased, "How did you get so good at this?" I asked, "Pure talent, man," he said, sarcastically, I think I was rubbing of of him a bit too much, "Alright, let's get you home before we totally transform into each other," I rolled my eyes. We were heading for the door right when Fiona came in, "Why Fiona, what brings you to this fine coffee establishment?" I asked, "I have a coffee date with Charlie," she said with a smile, "Best of luck," Adam said, walking out. I don't think he ever fully stopped loving her, but he was giving his best effort in staying friends with her, which may have been what really inspired me to rekindle my friendship with Clare, "I truly hope he doesn't hate me," Fiona said, morosely, "He doesn't hate you, you know that," I saw who I thought was Charlie through the window, headed inside, "Well, it looks like it's my cue to leave," I said motioning toward the window. Her eyes lit up upon seeing her, so I gave her a hug, "May the force be with you," I said, parting. She rolled her eyes, but smiled her thanks as I walked out.

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><p>I dropped Adam off at his house, and made it home before dark; my parents new requirements. I walked up to my room to begin on my paper for English. My room was noticeably cleaner since last fall when I had admitted to Clare that I was a horder, but there was still improvements that could be made. I brought my new laptop out from under my bed. I had a lapse in my calm a couple weeks ago when my computer froze during a particularly important video chat with a potential college choice and I threw it on the ground, snapping it right in half. I opened up a blank document, filling out my heading. I stared at the blank document for seconds, which turned into minutes. It eventually turned into an hour and still nothing, "Eli dear, dinner is ready," Cece said, peaking her head into my room, "I will be down in a moment, I am working on a paper for school," "Alright," she smiled, "Take your time," she left, shutting the door, and walking down to the dining room. Another fifteen minutes pass and still nothing. I huffed, my anger building, and standing up with rage, picked my laptop up over my head and throwing it to the floor with a loud crash. <em>Fuck, not again, Cece and Bullfrog are gonna flip their shit,<em> I thought. I heard two pair of footsteps running up the stairs and my door was thrown open, revealing my parents, both had worry written all over their faces. I stood frozen in place, scratching the back of my head. Bullfrog's face quickly changed from pale white to bright red, "Elijah Jason Goldsworthy, how many times are we going to have to go through this, hmm?" he demanded, I really wasn't sure if he wanted me to answer that, "Is that a rhetoric question?" I asked, he ignored me "This is the third laptop you have gone through this year, do you think your mother and I are made of money?" he ranted, I stayed silent this time, at a loss of words, "You know what, we are not going to buy you another laptop until you can learn to control yourself with this stuff, for now, you can either use your mother's or my laptop under our supervision." he had calmed down a little, "Give me your cell phone, I will give it back to you in the morning," he directed, and I numbly complied, "Now get your ass downstairs for dinner," by now my father's anger had fully drained. He never really liked yelling, but he would if given a reason, and it seemed as though I had given him a pretty damn good reason to be pissed off. God damn, I wish I was normal.


End file.
